AGE LIMITS

[Published in Manila Bulletin, August 2011]

When you are young and free, your career possibilities are endless. Opportunities abound. You can experiment a bit and hopefully quickly find a career that is best suited for you.

As you grow older, however, your choices begin to shape your career and you’ll find yourself in a set line of work. By the time you are in your late thirties, you’ve gained enough knowledge through the years on your chosen field and you should ideally be moving upwards in your industry.

During this time, you would also have taken on more of life’s responsibilities. You may get married and have children. You may need to take care of ailing parents or other siblings. All of these are reasons why you want to work to provide well for your family.

But what if, all of a sudden, you find yourself longing for a change of career? Or what if, life suddenly throws you a curve ball and you find yourself out of work and in need of a new job?

You then open Manila Bulletin’s classified ads section. You look for job listings that are suitable for your knowledge and experience since you want to capitalize on what you’ve mastered in the last decade. You find a couple of job advertisements that suit you.

Good reputable company, check.

Good position, check.

Skills required, check.

Competitive compensation and benefits, check.

You’ve found your next job! BUT WAIT! It says in the job ad that the age requirement is from 25 to 35 years old. You’ve just celebrated your 40^th birthday. Bummer.

You then look at other job ads and notice a similar pattern. There is an age limit specified in the job ads. You’re way above the age limit. You then start wondering exactly what our letter sender asked:

Dear Ms. Jhoanna,

I’m an engineer by profession and also finished EMBA. I currently work overseas for a power plant. Pay is good and knowledge advancement is great. However, I miss home and have been exploring the possibility of coming back for good. I’ve been looking at job advertisements but have been noticing age limitations that are, well, limiting.

We say that experience plays a big part in true learning and you can acquire this through years of working as you also age. As I browsed job listings, I am qualified for most of the opening, but I always end up frustrated due to age requirement.

So I have a few questions on this issue: Is the Age limit mandatory as a minimum requirement for all hiring companies? Does HR have an influence on this? Is this what we call Equal Opportunity? I hope you can enlighten me.

Thanks,

A Mature Engineer

My Response:

Thanks for writing in with this relevant issue. Allow me to answer your question about Age Limitations...

Before HR practitioners post job advertisements, they usually conduct a job analysis wherein they try to define the required skills, competencies and scope of work needed for the position. They also determine what age range and sometimes even the gender the manager in need of staffing prefers so that they will have a clear set of criteria for recruitment. As much as possible, HR confers with the manager on his or her preference since s/he will be the one working directly with the new hire.

Although Age Limitations and Gender Specification do not exactly reflect the ideals of equal opportunity which has been made into law by some first world countries, it is a practice many companies do in our country for practical purposes.

From an employer's point of view, younger employees are seen as less costly and tend to demand lower compensation because they do not have that much family obligations or medical health problems yet. They also have more years ahead, so investing in their training offers the chance for longer service time.

On the other hand, some companies are also aware that older and veteran workers have more experience and knowledge. They have already been trained by their previous employers. They have first hand practical experience and are usually more emotionally mature to handle work concerns and issues.

So it really depends on the company’s culture, needs and financial capacity. Some companies have strict age requirements, others are more flexible. If they can afford to, they hire veterans for higher positions; if they cannot, they get consultants to help out and train their younger work force.

I understand how difficult it is for older people to find jobs. Usually, the older you become and the higher your position gets, the opportunities seem to get narrower... But older people still have a lot of options. You just have to go out of your comfort zones, think outside the box and explore other ways to pursue your career.

Stay tuned for my next article to get ideas on how to conquer age limits.

About the Author:
Jhoanna O. Gan-So is president of Businessmaker Academy, HR Club Philippines and Teach It Forward Organization. Since 2003, her company has served more than 15,000 participants from various companies and industries by providing corporate skills training, business and human resource seminars. To know more about the seminars and services that they offer, you may visit www.businessmaker-academy.com or www.hrclubphilippines.com. You may also call (632)6874645. Email your comments and questions to: mbworklife@gmail.com

Different Types of Interviews

There are different ways Recruitment Officers interview job applicants. Have you ever experienced any of these? This article was published in my column at Manila Bulletin a few months back in the Job Classifieds Section...

Most of us have experienced one-on-one interviews where the Recruitment Officer asks us a bunch of questions and we do our best to answer them as confidently as we can. But did you know that there are other forms of interviews? Depending on the position you are applying for and your entry level, you might encounter other forms of interviews. Let me share with you some of the most popular types of interviews so that you can come in any interview prepared and you won’t get shocked if all of a sudden, you are asked to do something else other than just answer questions.

ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS
The most common type of job interview, this is usually the format you will encounter during first contact meetings. A Recruitment Officer will conduct testing and interview you as a first step. Once you pass this, you will then be called in for a second interview which is usually conducted by the supervisor or manager you will be working under. Depending on the hiring policy and procedure of the company, you may then be asked for a third interview. Otherwise, if your qualifications are suitable and the supervisor or manager gives the go-signal for hiring, you will be meeting with the Recruitment Officer and be given a job offer. This differs from company to company. Some companies have 2 to 3 series of interviews with different formats, but there have been cases where applicants are hired on the spot by smaller companies where you deal directly with the boss.

PHONE INTERVIEWS
Increasingly becoming popular, phone interviews are done as a screening method before an actual face to face interview. Some Recruitment Officers prefer to ask a few questions right away during the first phonecall, so that they can see if you are applying for the appropriate job and your circumstances will deem you fit for the job. This saves them time and effort. When they see that the basics are covered, they will then schedule a face-to-face interview for you in that same call. Meanwhile, other Recruitment Officers also use this type of interview particularly if they are mass-hiring for back-end types of jobs. It is supposed to eliminate biases as they won’t see immediately your appearance and mannerisms. Phone Interviews are also best for long-distance interviews. Before asking you to travel and spend money to go to their main office, Recruitment Officers will do Phone interviews first for your own benefit.

CAREER FAIR INTERVIEW
Most career fairs are used by companies to collect and gather resumes. However, there are some instances wherein you will be given a chance to undergo a screening interview wherein the HR representative will allot 2-5 minutes for you. If you do well in it, you may be called in for a further, more in-depth interview. Since time is limited, you will have to take care in giving a good first impression. So be sure to dress properly in job fairs, you never know it, you might just get a quick interview right there and then. When you are interviewed here, be sure to smile. Listen attentively and give concise but informative answers. Thank the interviewer for his or her time and before you go, tell the interviewer that you would be available for a more in-depth interview anytime and that you are really interested in their company. Do this confidently and not desperately.

GROUP INTERVIEWS
There are cases when you will be interviewed and tested with two or more other candidates who are all vying for the same position. There could be two reasons for this. First, there’s only one job opening and the interviewer wants to see candidates prove themselves; or Second, there could be several job openings for the same position and the interviewer wants to see how well you can collaborate with other people. Testing your competence for collaboration is usually done in technology industries where employees work in teams to find solutions.

PANEL INTERVIEW
There are also instances wherein you will have to face three or more members of the organization who may consists of the Management Committee or represent different departments that you will be closely working with. This type of interview is usually done in academic institutions or for senior level positions. It is somewhat similar to your college thesis defense. It can be a bit nerve-wracking, so you will need to trust in yourself and believe that you can do it. The reason why this is done is because it saves time and effort for everyone, but more importantly, it also tests your ability to face a group of people, how well you can address their concerns and see if you have grace under pressure.

AUDITION INTERVIEW
For careers that require public speaking such as event hosting and training, or on-cam jobs like acting, singing or entertainment performance, you will most likely have to undergo an Audition Interview or Screen Test. You will be given a series of public-speaking exercises, reading lines and impromptu tests. This is to see how well you are able to communicate with an audience, whether you are prepared or not. You will also be asked questions and it may feel like an interrogation, but it is a necessary part of an Audition Interview. The thing to remember when you are faced with this type of interview is to have fun, enjoy it and bring out the star in you. You are being asked questions because they are interested in how you communicate with an audience or in front of a camera.

These are just some of the types of interviews that we normally use as HR practitioners. In fact, in our Recruitment Seminar, we further examine interview styles and questionnaires so that we find the best person for the job. As a Job Seeker, it is important for you to know what to expect and take time to mentally prepare for these types of interviews since some companies use several of these formats in their Recruitment Process. I hope this helps all of you Job Seekers to prepare for and enjoy your Interview! Good Luck!


About the Author: Jhoanna O. Gan-So is president of Businessmaker Academy and the managing director for HR Club Philippines. Her company conducts seminars on HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT such as Recruitment, Training, Compensation and Benefits, Job Evaluation, Labor Law and Employee Discipline. They have also recently launched the INSTANT HR TOOLKIT, a service that provides HR practitioners with over 100 ready-to-use downloadable, customizable and printable HR manuals, contract, letters forms and templates. To know more about HR seminars that they offer, you may visit www.businessmaker-academy.com or call (632)6874645. To know more about the Instant HR Toolkit and the HR club, you may visit www.hrclubphilippines.com. You may email your comments and questions to: mbworklife@gmail.com

Are You Happy With Your Company Culture & Work Environment?

[Published in Manila Bulletin last January 13, 2010 - adapted from a previous blog post]

When you enter an office, clinic, restaurant, store or business establishment, one of the first things that you will notice is its ambience. Is the place clean and well-maintained? Are the people friendly or formal? Is the pace fast or laidback?

All of these represent a company’s culture---the values, customs and way of life of a particular workplace---critical factors that lead to Job Satisfaction, as well as Customer Satisfaction.

JOB SATISFACTION

If you are a Job Seeker, you may want to look into a company’s culture before accepting a job offer from them. Are the company’s premises conducive for work? Will you be comfortable working with the current employees and even managers of the company? Do you believe in what the company stands for?

When I interview applicants, I often ask for the reason why they left their previous employment. Quite a number of them have mentioned that the main reason why they left their previous company is that they were not happy with their jobs due to bosses shouting at them, “tsismis” (gossip) or politics. In short, they didn’t like the culture.

On the other hand, employees who are happy with their co-workers and bosses tend to stay longer in the company. In cases where other companies try to pirate them with a slightly higher salary offer, they will think more than twice before jumping ship. Happy employees tend to stick with their company because they already have it good. Why leave a place and people that you have come to love?

So you see, Job satisfaction is really not just about compensation. It is also about belonging and enjoying your work and the people you work with. A strong company culture and good work environment gives you that.

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

A company's culture is greatly influenced by its management. How the bosses conduct themselves will ultimately be mirrored by the team. For instance, if the management is customer-oriented and conducts business in a professional yet personal way, chances are, you will find their employees acting the same way.

This is evident whenever I visit a private doctor's clinic. I can tell immediately even without meeting the doctor if the s/he has good bedside manners and really cares for the patient. All I do is observe how their secretaries deal with customers and I'll know what the doctor will be like and whether I will continue to see this doctor.

Because customers relate and ultimately come to trust a company due to its culture, building a good Company Culture that leads to a great Corporate Image is a vital function of HR and should not be shoved over to the Marketing Department to invent on its own. Ultimately, a well-defined and practiced culture will greatly increase a company's success... and HR practitioners have a major role in this.

SO HOW DO YOU DEVELOP A STRONG COMPANY CULTURE?

First, Build the Foundation
As a Training and Consultancy firm, we help many of our clients design and inculcate their Vision, Mission and Values (VMV). We assist them in preparing their Company Policies, Employee Orientation and Training Programs. We insist in full management and team support. You don't just write this stuff and expect others to read and follow. Getting people's “Buy In” is key, and the best way to get this is to include them in the process.

Second, Recruit People with the Same Values
Unless your company's primary preference is diversity, it is best to find people whose values and competencies are in line with the company. Some companies employ a competency-based recruitment system with special emphasis on Behavioral Values. Since they started practicing this type of recruitment and selection process, they have noticed that their team is more in sync and work better together.

Third, Train Your People
There are many ways that you can train and orient your people about your company’s values. In our company, we have an automated process for orienting new employees. We conduct a 4-part interactive webinar with quizzes. Then we follow it up with some Coaching, Company sponsored seminars and On-the-Job Training. By constantly training and emphasizing our values, we continuously develop a culture of progress and understanding.

Fourth, Manage Performance
Once, you've selected and trained your employees, you need to constantly ensure that they are performing well and that they are upholding the values of the company. Here you want to build programs that will help you increase productivity and create a system that allows you to track, monitor and evaluate employee's performance. Giving Feedback regularly is a powerful way to manage and increase your team's performance.

Lastly, Reward Your Employees
This is the fun part of the job, developing innovative and cost-effective programs that will make employees happy. There are so many exciting ways you can motivate your employees and keep your culture alive. Aside from an attractive compensation and benefits structure, create fun HR programs that reward good deeds and give incentives to star performers. People who have fun are generally more satisfied with their jobs.

A strong and healthy company culture leads to job satisfaction among employees and customer satisfaction and loyalty. Whether you are an employer, employee or HR practitioner, be sure to contribute and build a happy workplace.

Jhoanna O. Gan-So is president of Businessmaker Academy and the managing director for HR Club Philippines. Her company conducts seminars on HR Management, Business Solutions and Corporate Skills Development. They have also recently launched the INSTANT HR TOOLKIT, a service that provides HR practitioners with over 100 ready-to-use downloadable, customizable and printable HR manuals, contract, letters forms and templates. To know more about HR seminars that they offer, you may visit www.businessmaker-academy.com or call (632)6874645. To know more about the Instant HR Toolkit, you may visit www.hrclubphilippines.com. You may email your comments and questions to: mbworklife@gmail.com

How to Develop a Strong Company Culture

A company's culture is greatly influenced by it's management. How the bosses conduct themselves, will ultimately be mirrored by the team. For instance, if the management is customer-oriented and conducts business in a professional yet personal way, chances are, you will find their employees acting the same way.

This is evident whenever I visit a new private doctor's clinic. I can tell immediately even without meeting the doctor if the doctor has good bedside manners and really cares for the patient. All I do is observe how their secretaries deal with customers and I'll know what the doctor will be like and whether I will continue to see this doctor.

Because customers relate and ultimately come to trust a company due to its culture, building a Good Company Culture that leads to a Credible Corporate Image is a vital function of HR and should not be shoved over to the Marketing Department to invent on its own. Ultimately, a well-defined and practiced culture will greatly increase a company's success... and HR practitioners have an major role in this.

So How Do You Develop a Strong Company Culture?

First, Build the Foundation.
In our company, our management team took the time to discuss and map out our VMV---Vision, Mission and Values. We also prepared our Company Policies, HR manual and Employee Orientation Program. It was important that the whole management team take part in this endeavor. You don't just write this stuff and expect others to read and follow. Getting people's Buy In is key, and the best way to get people's buy in is to include them in the process. (To learn more about building a solid HR foundation for your company, you can check out books and seminars on Fundamentals of HR Management)

Second, Recruit People with the Same Values.
Unless your company's primary preference is diversity, it is best to find people whose values and competencies are in line with the company's VMV. In our company, we started employing competency-based recruitment with special emphasis on Values. Since we started practicing this type of recruitment and selection process, I've noticed that our employee turnover rate has gone down. (To learn more about Effective Employee Recruitment, Retention and Selection, you can check out books and seminars near you)

Third, Train Your People
There our many ways that you can train your people. One of the most successful HR projects we have is an Automated New Employee Orientation Program. This innovative project allows us to orient an employee through a 4-part interactive webinar, so that we don't have to physically conduct the training ourselves every time there's a new employee. Any employee who is hired by us undergoes this process, then we follow it up with some Company sponsored seminars and On-the-Job Training. (To learn more, you can check out BMA's Corporate Training Services or Seminars on Training Program Development and Trainers Training Program)

Fourth, Manage Performance
Once, you've selected and trained your employees, you need to constantly ensure that they are performing well and that they are upholding the values of the company. Here you want to build programs that will help you increase productivity and create a system that allows you to track, monitor and evaluate employee's performance. Giving Feedback regularly is a powerful way to manage and increase your team's performance. (To learn how to build Performance Management Systems and Programs, you may read books, interview professionals and attend seminars)

Lastly, Reward Your Employees
This is the fun part of the job in HR, developing innovative and cost-effective programs that will make employees happy. There are so many exciting ways you can motivate your employees and keep your culture alive. In our company, we continuously try our best to maintain a stable compensation and benefits structure that the company can afford. We also have fun HR programs that reward good deeds and give incentives to star performers. (To learn more, check out Businessmaker Academy's Compensation & Benefits Management Seminar)

In the next posts, I will share with you Successful HR Project Ideas that you can easily implement to build a strong and happy Company Culture.

>>> Jhoanna O. Gan-So is the president and head of research and development for Businessmaker Academy. She is an educator, entrepreneur, marketing communication specialist and HR practitioner. Together with her husband, Mark So, she is committed to helping people improve their personal, professional and financial lives.